What is Digital Wellbeing?
Technology, and how we use it, can affect how each of us feel, think and behave. It can also affect the health of our own body and mind. It is important to understand how watching television and using digital technology such as computers, tablets, phones and gaming devices, makes us feel so that we can ensure positive digital wellbeing.
Another important part of our digital wellbeing is knowing how to look after ourselves and how to look after others online. This includes knowing what to do if we face a problem or if something worries or frightens us when we are using a computer, phone or tablet.
Digital wellbeing can be influenced by:
- The amount of time someone spends on devices.
- How they physically, mentally and emotionally respond to online scenarios.
- How they socialise and interact with others online.
- How they choose to present themselves online.
- What their online/offline balance is like.
- The types of content someone exposes themselves to.
- How necessary technology is for an individual.
Screen Time
For many parents in the digital age, decisions over screen time and devices have become a major part of family life. Screen time needs to be monitored at home, as well as the type of screen: being creative with technology has far more benefits than pure consumption.
The recommended hours are:
- From 0 to 2 years: NO screen time
- From 3 to 8 years: Up to 1 Hour per day recreational screen time
- From 9 to 17 years: Up to 2 Hours per day recreational screen time.
During the school week, as far as possible, it’s recommended to limit the use of screens at home for school work only.
It’s also strongly recommended that screens should not be used at least an hour before going to bed and not until at least an hour after waking up.
To help with this, there are many screen-time tracking and parental-control applications that will monitor which apps are being used in the household, for how long and by whom. These include ‘Screen Time’ for iOS and ‘Digital Wellbeing’ for Android users.
Click the link below to read our Digital Wellbeing Guide for parents/carers.
Helpful Websites
Here are some websites which can help ensure you promote positive digital wellbeing at home:
Common Sense Media Helps families make choices based on films, apps and games which their children want to use. It offers the largest library of independent age-based and educational ratings and reviews for films, games, apps, TV shows, websites, books, and music. Their Parent Concerns section and Parent Blog help families understand and navigate the problems and possibilities facing children in the digital age.
Ask About Games is a site that focuses on supporting families with gaming at home. It answers questions which parents and players may have about video games’ age ratings and provides advice on how to play games safely and responsibly. There are helpful tips to ensure families get the most out of the games they enjoy together.
